Packaging means and method for premiums and the like



May 10, 1960 A. E, GOLDFARB ETAL 2,936,089/j7 PACKAGING MEANS AND MDTHDD FDR PRDMIuMs AND THD LIKE May 10, 1960 A. E. GOLDFARB ET AL 2,936,089

PACKAGING MEANS AND METHOD FOR PREMIUMS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f2 00L PH E. GoLoFARs a HFA/Rr a. .sA PE/PsrE/N.

IN VENTORS.

HUE ENE BEEHLER, WRFEL 8 HERZ/Gy B y A T TOR/VEYS.

May 10, 1960 A A. E. GOLDFARB ET A1. 2,936,089

PACKAGING MEANS AND METHOD FOR PREMIUMS AND THE LIKE- Filed Ian. '17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ADOL PH E. GOLDFA RB 8 HENRY G. SA PERSTE/N,

INVENTORS.

HUE BNER, BEEHLER, WORREL 8 HERZ/6,

A T TORNEI/5.

PACKAGING NIEANS AND METHOD FOR PREMIUMS AND THE LIKE Adolph E. Goldfarb, North Hollywood, and Henry G. Saperstein, Los Angeles, Calif.

This invention pertains vto containers, and more specifically to a container within a container for premium items and the like.

It has become increasingly popular for merchandsers to olfer premiums, in conjunction with the sales of their products. Such items are difficult to package and frequently the cost of packaging exceeds the cost of the premium itself.

. Moreover, it is desirable to package premiums together with the saleable merchandise to Vavoid having the premium .become separated from the merchandise. It is also desirable to package such items without obscuring the product or changing theouter appearance thereof, because the same is frequently known :and recognized by the outer appearance of its container or package.

It is more desirable and advantageous to package a premium within the original container itself by the addition of a compartment-forming diaphragm means to provide primary and secondary compartments or a smaller container within the larger container. This is preferably accomplished without the necessity of altering such larger container or of modifying present-day -feeding and capping methods and devices.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved container which provides a plurality of separable compartments, one of which may be used to store the saleable merchandise and another in which to store a premium item.

It -is also an object of .this invention to provide a new and improved container which includes means for separating the container into compartments, yet which is adapted to be used in existing mass-production packaging means and methods Ywithout necessity of modification thereof. v

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved container of great Versatility and utility which is economical to produce and capable of mass production. i

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved container within a container in which a sealing diaphragm is capable of dividing al container rinto primary and secondary compartment, and which is like Aelement to vprovide storage space for elongated premium items or the like. j

it is also an .object of this inventionto provide a new ,and ,improved container ,which nvetcomes disaslrantasss States Patent O ce 2,936,089 Patented May 10, 1960 of previous devices and methods heretofore intended to accomplish generally similar purposes.

In particular, it is an object of this invention to provide new and improved cap means tor containing a premium or the like, and which while containing said premium or the like Vis susceptible of transport and handling from an assembly plant for the cap and pre-v mium to a packaging location without unintentional separation. The premiumfcontaining caps can thereby be used in conventional packaging equipment in the same manner as conventional caps normally utilized therein.

These and other objects of this invention will be -apg parent to one skilled in the art yfrom the following detailed description of the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side view in elevation of a container embodying a preferred form of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View takn as on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2; i

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective View of a diaphragm element embodying this invention;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View of a plurality of cap elements stacked as in a feeding tube or chamber, shown partly in elevation;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 `of a modiiied form of this invention;

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view similar to Figure 4 showing a corresponding diaphragm element resealable in .the embodiment shown in Figure Y6;

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional View similar to Figure 2 disclosing another modified form o f invention;

Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a diaphragm element used in the above embodiment of this `invention as shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional View similar to Figure 2 of still another embodiment of this invention; i l Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a further embodiment of .this -invention;

Figure l2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View as taken on line 12-12 of Figure l1;

Figure 13 is an enlarged vertical sectional view vsimilar to Figure 2 showing another embodiment of this invention;

vFigure 14 lis a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an embodiment similar to that shown in Figure -l?, with Vsome modification;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing still another embodiment of this invention;

Figure 16 is a horizontal sectional View as taken on a line 16-16 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is an enlarged vertical sectional viewshowing another embodiment of this invention; and

Figure 1S is a horizontal sectional view as taken fon a line 18-18 of Figure 17.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there ,is shown `in Figures l through y5, by way of illustration Tbut not .of limitation, a preferred form of a container designated generally by the numeral 10.

The container 10 includes a hollow body portion -11V in the form of a bottle, or the like, of any suitable size or shape. The body 11 may be made of lany appropriate material such as glass, metal, plastic or the like, or combinations thereof. The body `lltterminates at the upper end thereof in a reduced neck portion 12 which iisprovrvided lwith Aexternal threads '13.

A cap 14 provides closure means for said bottle 11, and is preferably formed of a relatively rigid material such as a polystyrene resin or the like. The cap 14 in- 'cludes a depending skirt 15, open at the bottom thereof and terminating at the upper edge in an inwardly extending annular flange 16. Y The inner surface of the skirt 15 is preferably of a tapered configuration with an enlarged diameter 17 at the lower end to facilitate insertion of the bottle neck 12. The skirt is internally threaded at an intermediate portion as indicated at 18, complementary to and engageable with the threads 13 of said bottle neck.

g The upper portion 19 of the inner surface of the skirt is preferably of a reduced diametrical dimension and tapered inwardly and upwardly to terminate at the shoulder '16. It is preferable in this embodiment that the base of the upper tapered diameter 19 be equal to or slightly less than the minor diameter of the threads 18.

A disc-shaped sealing gasket or diaphragm 20 is disposed Within the upper portion r19 of the skirt and is preferably composed of a relatively flexible resiliently compressible material such as a plasticized polyethylene resin or the equivalent. The diaphragm 20 includes a substantially horizontal wafer-like body 21 whose diametric dimension is slightly smaller than the diameter at the inner surface 19.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the body 21 is provided with a plurality of resilient protrussions or fingers 22 arranged at the periphery thereof to frictionally engage the wall portion l19 and retain the diaphragm 20 therein. The lateral dimension from the end of a finger to the end of an opposing finger is preferably greater than the inner diameter of the wall portion 19, forcing said fingers to be bent or flexed downwardly when the gasket is inserted, thereby exerting an outward force on said walls to resist the removal of the diaphragm and releaseably retain the same in place.

An elongated tab '23 depends from the underside of the gasket 20 to provide a finger piece to assist in the removal of said gasket.

The diaphragm 20 forms an effective seal for a primary container 30, defined by the bottle 11 and said diaphragm. 4As the cap 14 is threaded onto the bottle neck, the diaphragm 20 is compressed as a seal along its peripheral edgeby said shoulder portion 16 of the cap y14.

' The axial length of the wall portion 19 is sufficient to accommodate the bent finger 22 of the diaphragm 20.

An important feature of the above-described embodiment is the provision of means with diaphragm 20 to hold the same within the cup, to wit, the fingers 22. Thereby the diaphragm will not be subject to unintentional removal or separation from the cap, nor will it fall out to become soiled and unsanitary, lost, or adhere to the annular surface of the bottleneck when the cap is removed or unscrewed prior to packaging on container.

The annular flange 16 defines an aperture 24 to re- Yceive therein the downwardly extending annular ange 25 of an upwardly extending dome-shaped or otherwise hollow housing 26 to form a secondary container '35. The housing 26 is preferably composed of a transparent material such as plastics or the like, permanently or semi-permanently fixed as by cementing the ange I16 within the aperture 24.

The secondary container 35 advantageously visibly contains any desired premium item. Such premium is removably retained within said secondary container by means of the aforementioned self-retaining diaphragm 20 Iwhich forms a bottom for said container. The skirt 14 is preferably longer than the height of housing 26 for nesting purposes later to be described.

The depending -tab 23 may be provided with a transverse weakened section or groove 27 as along an upper edge adjacent to the bottom 21, thus providing a readily exible hinge construction adapted to permit the tab 23 to yield laterally as shown in Figure and also enabling an operator to remove said tab 23 from the diaphragm 20 by tearing along said section after use and in the absence of other sealing means for the cap. The section 24 is, however, of suflicient thickness and strength lthat the diaphragm 20 may be withdrawn without tearing the tab. Inasmuch as the tab is no longer necessary after the premium item is removed it may, if desired, be torn off prior to the replacement of the diaphragm body 21 within the cap for continued sealing of the primary container 30 in the absence of other sealing means, e.g. a sealing washer or a resilient or sealing neck.

Containers of the nature in question are generally filled and capped in an automatic bottle filling and capping device (not shown) which -is equipped with a capfeeding tube 28, indicated in broken lines in Figure 5, wherein the caps are conveyed within said tube to a capping station. The cap 14 made according to this invention particularly lends itself to such mass production filling and capping methods in its ability to nest one within another as previously mentioned after pre-assembly of the sealing diaphragms within the caps. The diaphragm 20 is self-retaining and therefore will not drop out of said cap and jam up the tube or otherwise disrupt the continuedoperation of feeding said caps to said capping station. The tabs 23, being pliable, will flex and bend permitting the housing 26 of one cap to nest Vtelescopically within the skirt of another adjacent cap.

A plurality of longitudinal ribs 29 or other frictional means may optionally be provided on the outer surface of the skirt to assist in rotating the cap 14.

In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown a modified form of this invention for use as when relatively larger premiums than those described previously are offered. It is preferable .in these cases to extend the secondary compartment into the neck of the bottle or primary container 30, rather than to extend the height of the housing 26 of the secondary container 35 which in some instances would result in making the package awkward and topheavy.

A sealing diaphragm 20a similar to that of the diaphragm 20 can be employed therewith and preferably comprises an annular horizontal portion 21a, provided with laterally resilient fingers 22, to be engaged between the shoulder 16 of the cap 14 and the top annular edge of the neck 12 and form a seal for the primary container. As in the previously described embodiment, the shoulder Vis drawn down into tight engagement of said diaphragm 20a by engagement of exterior threads 13 of the bottle 1=1 with the interior threads 18 of the cap 14 A central section 31 of the diaphragm 20a preferably depends, cup-like, to form an extension of a secondary container 35a. The bottom wall 33 of the extension 31 together with the annular wall 32 and the annular portion 21a cooperate to enclose a primary container 30a, and provide a bottom for a secondary container A tab 23a preferably extends downwardly from said bottom of the extension 31 and as described in the previous embodiment can include a weakened portion 27a to facilitate removal of the tab 23a from the diaphragm 20a if desired.

The cup-like extension formed by the section 31 can be of any desired depth, e.g. Figure 8. Moreover the top of the cap may be made larger or smaller as desired, and can in fact be fiat, i.e. so as to eliminate the dome 35a.

In the embodiment of Figures 8 and 9 the diaphragm 20b is specifically designed to enclose premium items or Sealing diaphragm 20b is provided with a depending annular skirt 36 in which there is disposed an elongated tubular housing 37 with a closed bottom 38.

The outer diameter of the tube 37 conforms to the 'inner diameter of the annular skirt 36 in a closely fitting frictional telescoping relationship, and is additionally cemented or otherwise secured thereto as desired. The diaphragm 20b, together with the housing 37, form an auxiliary or tertiary container 40.

In this' embodiment, the diaphragm 20b does not require a tab such as 23, as the depending housing 37 may be used as a handle to withdraw the diaphragm 20b and gain access to the contents of the primary con- .tainer 35b. It is, however, contemplated that the housing 37 may be removed after the removal of the contents of container 40 and in a manner to retain the diaphragm 20b as a sealing gasket for the primary container 30b. An annular weakened section such as a groove or slit 41 or the like, is optionally provided at the upper end of the tube 37 adjacent to the skirt 36, whereby the tube 36 may be torn away at this weakened section 41 to separate the tube from the diaphragm.

It is additionally contemplated `by this as well as the' other forms that the disc-like body 2lb of the gasket or diaphragm 20b be of a diametrical dimension slightly Ygreater than the inner diameter 19 to form an interfer- Vence vlit therewith, to frictionally engage said wall and resist the unintentional removal thereof.A

In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, there is illustrated a cap 45 substantially similar to the cap 14 of Figures 1 through 4, with the exception that a hollow housing 46 corresponding to housing 26, is integral with a skirt 47, corresponding to skirt 15 of cap 14, and of a relatively rigid transparent material.

A` diaphragm 20c is disposed between an annular shoulder 48, corresponding to shoulder 16 of cap 14, and the annular top edge of a bottle 12 to form a primary container or compartment -50 within said bottle 12, and a secondary container or compartment 51 within the housing 46. Y

It is contempla-ted that in this embodiment the diaphragm 20c may be optionally omitted subsequent to removing the contents of the container 51. An annular gasket 52 of a suitable pliable resiliently compressible material such as a vinyl chloride resin or the like is cemented or otherwise secured 'to the underside of 'said shoulder 48 to form a sealing gasket adaptable to seal the container 50 for continued use. This washer is particularly adapted for sealing against the neck of a hard bottle such as glass or metal which is not resilient or self-sealing.

In the further modified embodiment of Figure 11,

there is shown a cap 60 comprising an annular skirt 61,

with interior threads 69 to engage exterior threads 13 of a bottle 12, an open bottom 63 and a substantially horizontal closed upper portion or diaphragm 64. The cap of this embodiment is preferably also formed of such a exible resiliently compressible material.

A transparent housing 65 may be permanently fixed to the diaphragm 64 of the cap 60 as by cementing or the like within an annular ridge 66 extending upwardly from said diaphragm, after the premium item or the like is enclosed therein. The housing 65 denes a secondary container 65' in conjunction with the cap end or diaphragm 64.

The diaphragm 64 is recessed at a central portion 67 thereof and is provided with relatively thin annular weakened sections 68 at the periphery of said recess to form a -tearwtab 69 which is neverthless duid-tight.Y

A handle 70 perferably depends from the underside of tab 69 to form a finger piece to facilitate the tearing of the tab 69.

The diaphragm 64, being of a relatively flexible and pliable material, acts as a sealing element for the primary container 71, deiined by the bottle 11 and the diaphragm 64. If the tab is removed to gain access to the container 65', an annular inwardly extending shoulder 72, corresponding to the shoulder 16, remains to act as a seal.

It is to be understood that the housing 6,5 of this embodiment can be optionally xed with a semi-permet? nent adhesive or the like so that it can be readily re# moved to gain access to the contents therein. `In such ease, the diaphragm can be left intact to form a cover for the primary container for continued sealed use. y

In Figure 13 is illustrated a cap 90 of a relatively pliable and flexible material such as plasticized polyethylene resin or the like, comprising an annular skirt 91, an open bottom 92, and a closed top or diaphragm 93. Diaphragm 93 is functionally similar to diaphragm 20 of the form shown in Figures 1 through 4, in sealing a primary container 94 with a bottle 12. The central portion 95 of the diaphragm 93 may be recessed to form an integral cup-like container 96. A preferably transparent cover member 97 (or removable dome or the like) is preferably removably secured within an upwardly extending annular ridge of the diaphragm 93 to enclose the container 96. v

The embodiment shown in Figure 14 is similar in construction to that shown in Figure 13, except that the cover member 97 may be formed integrally with the cap 90 and connected thereto as by an integral strip 98 of the subject material to form a flexible hinge. The cover 97' similarly encloses a container or compartment 96', and the diaphragm 93 encloses a compartment corresponding to the compartment 94 of Figure 13 either permanently or releasably.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 15 and 16, Vthe 'housing 75 is similar to the housing 26 and cemented or otherwise fixed in an aperture 76, corresponding to the aperture 24, of an annular shoulder 78, corresponding -to the vshoulder 16, of a cap 80. In this form, the inner diameter 81, corresponding to the inner diameter 19, is provided with a plurality of bosses 82 protruding inwardly to support the diaphragm 8'3 of such relatively texible compressible material. The diaphragm 83 is provided with a corresponding number of notches 84 along the periphery thereof to permit the insertion of the diaphragm 83 above and beyond the bosses 82. The diaphragm 83 is rotated to align the notches with the corresponding bosses 82, then guided thereover, and then rotated until the bosses 82 are out of alignment with the notches 84. In this latter rotated position, the diaphragm 83 rests on and is supported by the bosses 82. A depending nger piece `85 is provided to facilitate the rotation of said diaphragm 83. In this form fingers such as 22 are not necessary and the outer diameter of the diaphragm 83 is preferably slightly smaller than the inner diameter 81.

Figures 17 and 18 show a further embodiment of this invention particularly adapted to be used for a container t100 comprised of a rigid, non-compressible material such as glass, or the like (or the mouth or upper sealing edge is irregular) and whose exterior threads 101 of the neck portion 102 extend substantially to the upper end thereof.

A cap 103 is provided with a depending annular skirt 104 with interior threads 106 complementary to and engageable `with threads 101. The cap 103, inthis embodiment, is preferably formed of a transparent rigid material such as poly-styrene resin, or the like, with a flat or other shaped integral top 107 which is recessed as indicated at 108, providing an inwardly extending annular shoulder 109.

An annular resilient or rubber-like sealing gasket 111, composed as of a plasticized polyvinyl resin or the like, is disposed at the underside of the shoulder 109 and is preferably although not necessarily cemented thereto.

A diaphragm means 112 is optionally provided in this form to define primary and secondary containers, and if so may comprise a tubular body 113 with a closed bottom 114, an outwardly extended annular sealing ange 116 preferably spaced a short distance from the top thereof, and an enlarged tubular upper frictional retaining portion 117. The retaining portion 1l17 extends upwardly into the recess 108 of the cap 103 and includes a plurality of vertical ribs 118 to yieldingly engage the inner vertical wall 119 of said recess or dome. When therpremium jis to b e held only. ,in the dome or upper part yof the cap, then the diaphragm 112 is continuous and coplanar with flange 1'16 and may also as in Figure 4 be provided with Aa depending tab 23. The diaphragm 112 is preferably composed of a relatively resilient material such as a plastcized polyethylene lresin compound, rubber, neoprene, or the like, to afford a yielding engagement of the ribs 118 with the recess walls 119, to retain said diaphragm within the cap 103. 'In use, the diaphragm 112 is disposed with the tubular portion thereof nesting within the neck portion 102, with the ange 116 disposed Ibetween the upper annular end of the neck portionY and the sealing gasket 111. As previously mentioned, the upper retaining portion 117 is yieldingly engaged within the recess 108l of the cap 103. The diaphragm 112 defines a primary container 121, as included by bottle 100 below the diaphragm and a secondary premium container 122, as included -by the space within the tubular body and the top 107 of the cap 103, sealed from each other by the flange 116 and gasket 111. f

As in the previously described embodiments, the dia- 'phragm 112 is adapted to be retained within the cap 103,

enclosing a premium, to be conveyed in a cap feeding tube to a capping station as described.

To remove the premium from the secondary container 122, the consumer may grasp the tubular body 113 and withdraw the diaphragm 112. In this embodiment, the 'diaphragm may then be left out of the cap if desired jbecause the sealinggasket 111 within the cap 103 will act `as a seal for continued non-leaking use of the primary container 121. An important feature of this invention is the provision of a diaphragm which is self-retaining within the closure means for lthe container and which further denes a secondary container within the closure means to conceive to Ibe the most desired form'of our invention, it is to be understood that alterations and modifications thereof may be made in a manner to satisfy thespirit of invention which is intended to comprehendany and all equivalent devices as comprehended in the following claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim `as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

A container comprising a closure means having an annular skirt provided with threads on the interior surface thereof adapted to engage exterior threads ofv a container, said closure means further having an annular shoulder, a hollow, dome-shaped, transparent element'extending upwardly from said closure means and fixed thereto, a compressible imperforate disc-shaped sealing means disposed within an upper portion of the interior annular wall of said skirt having an integral peripheral portion against said shoulder and frictionally engaging said wall to removably retain said sealing means therein, said sealing means being compressed on the annular edge 'thereof `between said annular shoulder of said cap element and the upper annular edge of said container to form a seal therewith, said sealing means further defining a primary sealed container within said container and a secondary sealed container within said hollow element Aboth when the closure means is on and off the container, said sealing means further having a downwardly extending integral flexible handle means extending loosely into said container, and said handle means having a weakened section adjacent said sealing means to provide means for disconnecting said handle means from said sealing means.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,589 Hendrickson Feb. 3, 1942 2,310,491' Molow Feb. 9, 1943 2,594,729 Carvalho Apr. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 684,276 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1952 

